States › Indiana › Wayne County › Tornado
Tornado in Wayne County, Indiana
22 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Wayne County, Indiana, has 22 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 19 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 5 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1% of the 2,103 tornado events recorded in Indiana; its 5.5 per 100 square miles compares with 5.9 statewide.
By rating: 10 at (E)F0, 8 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Indiana
| Measure | Wayne County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 22 | 2,103 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.5 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 276 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | June | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
6May
3Jun
7Jul
0Aug
1Sep
0Oct
1Nov
2Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 22 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | $225K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 4 Jun 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2000 | Tornado | F1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2000 | Tornado | F0 | $45K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1995 | Tornado | F0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1980 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 1972 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 1963 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1963 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 1961 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | — | 3 | County |
| 13 Jun 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Wayne County had?
22 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Wayne County?
7 May 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Wayne County?
The tornado of 25 Apr 1961, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Wayne County compare with Indiana for tornado?
5.5 events per 100 square miles against 5.9 statewide; the county holds 22 of the state's 2,103 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.